Senshi of Virtue
by Llawred Lyn
Summary: Hello, everyone! This is the beginning of my story about a new group of Sailor Senshi in America! Please R&R.
1. Default Chapter Title

When I was young, I loved the stories of superheroes. Superheroes were perfect, and they always saved the day. My dream was to become a superhero.  
Now I am one.  
It didn't come by chance. I was destined, like so many others. The queen of the Moon Kingdom ordained the course of my life millennia ago.  
My mission was, and still is, to protect the safety of life, no matter what.   
A thousand years ago, I was a princess of a faraway planet named Astraea. Astraea is a word from an ancient language. It means justice and equality.  
While Astraea was far from the central Moon Kingdom, it owed its security to Queen Serenity. The only price that Astraea had to pay was to let Serenity train its princess in the ways of a warrior, so that in times of need, the guardian of Astraea could fight against the forces of evil.  
There were many other faraway planets where young princesses like me trained under the tutelage of the Queen. These five planets were called the Planets of Virtue, and were known across the galaxy for their kindness. They were known as Ananke, Planet of Destiny and Hope; Thalia, Planet of Joy and Love; Aglaia, Planet of Grace and Beauty; Themis, Planet of Truth and Righteousness, and Astraea, Planet of Justice and Wisdom.   
Even after our training, when we were attacked by the darkness, everyone was shocked.  
The dark powers ravaged our fertile lands, destroyed our people, and reduced the beautiful cities to rubble. At first, I, along with my counterparts, tried to fight against the darkness alone. We quickly realized that only by standing together could we avert the total destruction.  
Sadly, we realized this too late.  
Queen Serenity, her infinite wisdom, sacrificed herself so that we might live again, in another time and place far in the future, ever vigilant against the tide of darkness  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Athena Evans looked over the tiny houses outside the window of the airplane and sighed happily. She had been living in Paris for the past few months, and while she liked the City of Lights, Chicago would always be her true home.  
An especially cute meow awoke her from her daydreams. She looked up into the quizzical face of the flight attendant.  
"Um…I'm in that musical Cats, you know? Gotta practice!" Athena blurted out, a little too loud. The flight attendant said nothing, but raised her perfect eyebrow and continued down the aisle.  
Athena waited until she was out of earshot, then unzipped her carry-on bag and peeked inside. The small golden face of a kitty stared back at her angrily.  
Athena was blessed, or maybe cursed, with powerful mental capabilities. She could project her thoughts onto others, as well as read minds and move things though telekinesis. However, she was not totally in control of these powers. After weeks of practice, Athena was able to use her telepathy fairly well.  
Celi, shut up! she shouted, mentally. In case you didn't know, cats aren't allowed in the passenger area of the plane!  
I'm hungry! Celi growled. Don't you have any food?  
With a sigh, Athena nodded. Look in the side pocket. As an afterthought, she tossed one of the complementary packets of peanuts into the bag as well. Then she zipped up the bag.  
Celi was the one who introduced Athena to her powers. Before Athena had met the cat, the powers manifested themselves in dangerous outbursts. Now that she had an outlet in the form of Sailor Astraea, the outbursts had lessened. But they still occurred.  
A chime sounded, signaling the end of the flight. Athena quickly fastened her seatbelt and held on to her small suitcase. Celi yowled as the plane bumped to a landing. As soon as the plane taxied to its gate, Athena jumped up and grabbed her stuff. She rushed off the plane before the rush came.  
She saw her mother, tall and beautiful, standing there. She was looking around, unable to see what was right in front of her. Athena sighed, then waved. Dr. Evans smiled and ran to where her daughter was standing. She crushed Athena in a powerful hug.  
"My baby!" she shouted, causing several passerby to look at the couple strangely. Athena grinned as she struggled to free herself.   
"Mom, I've only been gone for three months! You'd think I hadn't been home in years!"  
Dr. Evans released Athena and smiled wistfully. "I'm sorry, dear…I've just…missed you, that's all."  
Athena put her arm around her mother as they walked toward the luggage claim. "I've missed you too, Mom."  
  
Athena threw her luggage down on the floor of her room. Celi squeaked again in pain. With a gasp of surprise, Athena unzipped the bag, and Celi flew out. "Whoops…Forgot you were in there, kitty."  
Celi shot her an injured look, then looked away. "I should have stayed in France!"  
Athena shrugged. "Hey, you asked to come with me. Plus, I need your help."  
The cat pretended to ignore her, carefully licking her paws to clean them. Athena stuck her tongue out, and was about to add another snappy remark when her mother called from downstairs.  
"Athena, I have a surprise for you! Come here, quick!"  
Athena barreled down the stairs and almost ran into Leonard, her best friend. She squealed and grabbed him in a crushing embrace. "Leo! Why are you here?"  
He grinned sheepishly. "It was a carefully conceived plot, executed by your mother and I. And judging by the look on your face, I'm guessing Operation Welcome Home was a success."  
Athena nodded vigorously. "Did Operation Welcome Home include any food? I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."  
"Luckily, you don't have to do that," Dr. Evans laughed. "I ordered some pizza for you guys."  
Leonard and Athena sat up talking late into the night. They had always been friends, ever since kindergarten. He was a tall young man, with curly dark brown hair and mischievous green eyes. His skin was a light tan, and he usually had a piece of a grin on his face, left over from a joke. Over two pizzas, they reminisced about their summers and guessed how the new year would be. Their old high school was shutting down, and they were going to a new school for their junior year. "So I guess you're glad that Nora and her crew won't be around, huh?" Leo asked as he bit into another slice.  
"Yeah. I won't miss the teachers either," she sighed. "It'll be nice to start over. I mean, I had so many problems with the people there. I want to go somewhere where no one knows my name."  
"Except me," Leo grinned.  
"Except you," Athena smiled back, giving him a hug.  
  
Athena really did look forward to the first day of school, for once. She bought a huge amount of school supplies, a new wardrobe, and a cute new lunchbox. When the first day did come, she stepped into the door of her new school, a big grin on her face.  
Her face dropped as she looked around. It seemed there were thousands of kids, running around and shouting at the top of their lungs. This place is huge! she thought. How am I going to find my way around?  
As she stood there, gawking about, a girl ran into her, knocking her onto the floor. The girl gasped, then kneeled down to help Athena up.  
"Man, I'm sorry," the girl said. "You know, it's the first day of school, and I'm just so excited!"  
Athena smiled. "Me too! Hey, could you help me find Room 206?"  
"What a coincidence…That's my homeroom! You must be new here. I'm Grainne McBride." Grainne grabbed Athena's hand and started to run. "We'd better hurry though, 'cause first bell is about to ring!"  
Grainne pulled Athena through the halls, her long red hair streaming behind. She was tall, six feet, perhaps, with striking green eyes. Finally, Grainne stopped in front of a door and yanked it open.  
Everyone in the room looked up as they thundered to the front of the class. The teacher shook her head disapprovingly.   
"Grainne McBride, I should have known," the teacher sighed. "Who is this?" she asked, with a gesture toward Athena.  
"Oh," Grainne blinked. Then a broad smile crossed her face. "This is Athena Evans. She's new."  
Athena rolled her eyes. This was so embarrassing. She waved shyly at the sea of faces.  
"Will you two please sit down? You've disrupted the class enough." The teacher massaged her forehead, trying to erase some of the pain of her headache.  
Athena and Grainne found two seats next to each other. As the teacher began to drone on about what math they should have learned last year, Grainne leaned over to Athena.   
"Sorry about that," Grainne shrugged. "Ms. Morley has had something stuck up her butt ever since freshman year. What's your name?"  
"Athena Evans. Nice to meet you!"  
Grainne grinned her irrepressible smile. "So polite…I like that. I'll take you under my wings. It's a good school…just big."  
  
Athena ran into her house after almost knocking down the door. The first day of school had been exhausting, and she was starving.  
She searched through the refrigerator frantically until she found a few slices of pizza. Athena stuffed these into her mouth hungrily.  
"So, how was it?"  
"Hi, Celi," Athena muttered around a mouthful of pepperoni. "It was nice." She swallowed, almost choking on some cheese. "What did you do all day?"  
"Went exploring," Celi shrugged, as she jumped on Athena's shoulder to look in the refrigerator. "Got any fish?"  
Athena found a can of tuna, opened it, and set it down on the counter. Celi dove in, delicately munching on her snack. "This place is so interesting…totally different from Paris! What's it called again?"  
Athena rolled her eyes. "Chicago, Celi."  
Celi fished out a small bone. "Oh, yeah…Anyway, I didn't find anyone…you know. And I think I've finally figured out why. You see, some of the senshi guardians have a kind of sixth sense…"  
"Like the movie? With the cute little boy and Bruce Willis?"  
Celi snorted. "Very funny. I meant that some of the guardians can just tell who is a senshi."  
"And you can't?"  
"Nope," Celi sighed. "With you and Zane, I got lucky. After a while, I knew. But it took months for me to get the picture. Plus, it was hard for you all to remember your past lives. That's because I never learned how to perform the mind meld."  
"Whoa…This is sounding like Star Trek." Athena found a jar of black olives and popped it open.   
"The mind meld allows us guardian kitties to quickly explain the history of the universe to our awakening senshi…and I don't know how to do it."  
"How can you learn, then?" Athena asked around the five olives in her mouth.  
"I don't know. But I do know this. Since you have telepathic powers, you can help me to break the 'barrier' that usually prevents awakening senshi from remembering their past lives. I'm not sure how, but we can try it if we do find any of the other Senshi of Virtue."  
"Olive?" Athena offered, holding the jar out to Celi.  
The golden kitten waved her paw. "No, thanks…I'm full of tuna."  
  
Athena had been sleeping for three hours when a sudden jolt of pain shot through her body. She bolted upright in bed and looked around. I haven't felt this in a long time…she thought, ominously. Right on cue, Celi jumped on Athena's bed. "Did you sense that?" Celi asked, her tail swishing in consternation.  
Athena nodded. "Where did I put my henshin stick?"  
"It's still in your bag! Come on, come on, a senshi has to be a lot more organized than this!"  
Athena threw clothes everywhere until she finally found her transformation wand tangled up in a bra. It was black, with a silver starburst circled by a silver ring on its tip. She raised the wand over her head and shouted, "Astraea Goddess Power, Makeup!"  
Suddenly, with her eyes closed, she started to spin around, waving her arms in an intricate pattern. Her eyes opened with a flash, and silver, raining down from the sky, formed her fuku. When she finished, one hand was on her head, controlling the power of her mind, and the other pointed her rapier forward, in the en guarde position.   
Sailor Astraea scooped up Celi with her left hand and sheathed her rapier with her right. She lifted up the window and nimbly grabbed onto the trellis outside her window. Astraea climbed down carefully, holding Celi under her arm.  
"Whew!" Astraea panted. "I think you need to lose a bit of weight, fat cat."  
"Shove it," Celi snarled. "We've got more important things to do than worry about my weight! And I'm NOT FAT!"  
As Astraea ran through the city, she followed the slight pain in her head. The closer she got to the disturbance, the stronger the pain got, until she was looking down a dark alley. A mass of strange nothingness swirled at the end.  
Her head throbbed painfully as she walked slowly down the alley. Celi followed closely. With a quick movement, Astraea unsheathed her sword and held it out in front of her with both hands.  
"What…or who are you?" she shouted into the nothingness.  
To answer, the darkness shifted and began to coagulate. It twisted and changed into a fearsome wolf-like creature.  
Except this wolf was taller than Astraea was, and blacker than night. Its red eyes glowed like hot coals-the only bright part of the creature.  
Astraea gulped nervously, but held her ground. Her hands began to shake imperceptibly.   
The monster stalked forward. It bared its teeth, sharper than knives, and a silvery strand of drool oozed from its lips.  
Then it jumped.  
The creature knocked Astraea to the ground. It pinned her there, scratching her with its claws, snapping at her, growling and blowing its hot breath into her face. With all of her strength, Astraea forced h legs up in a powerful kick, throwing the monster off of her. It landed on its feet, then lunged again. Astraea was ready this time, and sidestepped the wild attack. She slashed with her sword as the monster passed, chopping off its long flowing tail with one slice.  
It howled in pain as it turned to face Astraea again. Hot black blood that burned the sidewalk dripped freely from the wound. Astraea looked fleetingly at the tail, and was astonished to see it disappear back into the darkness of the night.  



	3. Default Chapter Title

"So, our main questions are, what was that thing last night, what was it doing here, and how can something exist without a soul, right?" Athena asked as she spooned Frosted Flakes into her mouth.  
"Yep," Celi sighed, "and neither of us know any answers."  
Athena's parents had already left for the morning, leaving Celi and Athena enough freedom to talk at the kitchen table.   
Athena rubbed her face. She was so tired from fighting, and the scars in her arms and back ached. "This whole being a superhero thing isn't easy, kitty cat."  
"Whoever said it was going to be easy?" Celi smiled half-heartedly. Then she glanced up at the clock.  
"Hey, you're gonna be late! You better hurry up!"  
Athena waved her spoon disapprovingly. "Oh, don't worry…The bus is never on time!"  
Outside, a horn sounded.  
"Oh my goodness! The bus!" Athena quickly scrambled to grab all of her supplies, then stuffed Celi into her bookbag.  
"I can't breathe!" Celi squeaked.  
"Well, then, stay home!"  
Athena rushed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Grainne looked around the classroom as she slid into her chair. Her face lit up as she saw Athena sit right next to her. "What's up, chick?" she winked.  
Athena groaned. "Man, you are way too chipper this morning."  
"Why are you so tired?" Grainne laughed.  
Athena racked her brain, trying to think up an excuse. "Homework," she lied quickly. "My physics teacher gives a lot of homework."  
Grainne stuck out her tongue. "Good thing I'm taking biology. I hate homework."  
"Who doesn't?" Athena shrugged.  
  
They went to a cute little diner down the street from their school. Grainne was wearing dark blue jeans, with a green top to match her eyes. She was quite fashion conscious, and understood that most colors could clash with her flaming red hair, so she chose clothes carefully. Grainne chattered most of the way to the diner, and Athena listened.  
"…And there aren't that many cute boys, but if you look carefully, you can find a…" Suddenly, Grainne squinted ahead. "Um, Athena? Maybe we shouldn't go here for lunch."  
"Why?" Athena asked, curiously. She squinted ahead too, but all she could see was a group of girls.  
"Because that's Charissa's crew. She's not a nice person."  
Athena looked up at Grainne quizzically. "Grainne, I thought you were friends with everyone!"  
"Yeah, sure," Grainne sighed, "but who'd want to be friends with her?"  
"Oh, who cares about what's-her-name? We'll avoid her!"  
The tall girl shrugged, causing her hair to cascade down her back. "Alright. It's your funeral, and probably mine too.  
As they approached the knot of girls, everyone looked in their direction. The group opened to reveal a girl at the center. She was the archetype of a rich, pampered beach bunny-blond hair, pulled into a high ponytail, blue eyes, perfectly tanned skin, expensive clothes…  
She also had a haughty look in her eyes that froze Athena in her tracks.  
Charissa looked Athena and Grainne over disdainfully. "Well…a new girl and the Talking Tower."  
Grainne narrowed her eyes, but didn't move.  
"If I were you, new girl, I wouldn't hang around with this one," Charissa continued. "She's always in trouble because she never shuts her big mouth."  
Athena was getting madder by the second, but she controlled herself. If she got too mad, she could accidentally blast Charissa through a wall.   
"Just be careful the Jolly Red Giant doesn't step on you, new girl." Charissa sniffed, pleased with her hurtful comments. Then she turned to her friends. "Come on, girls. Let's go to a more sophisticated place."  
As Charissa and her pack trooped away, Athena looked up at Grainne. Her eyes were welling up with tears. "Oh, come on, Grainne, she didn't really bother you…did she?"  
"I hate her!" Grainne suddenly shouted, hot tears falling over her freckled face. "I hate her! I wish she would go to hell!"  
Athena grabbed her friend's hand and led her inside the restaurant. Painful sobs choked Grainne as they sat down at a booth. She picked up a napkin and used it to dry her eyes.  
Grainne cursed again, but softer this time. Athena sighed sadly. She wasn't too good at giving advice, but she had been bullied a lot and had some experience in ignoring the darts of her peers. "Grainne, she's just a jerk. You can't let her bother you this way!"  
"She's been doing it forever, Athena. How can I stop her?"  
Athena looked up into the reddened eyes of Grainne, and suddenly images and words surged into her mind. The pain was agonizing…  
Being teased for being so tall…  
Getting yelled at for talking too much…  
Sitting at recess alone…  
A beautiful, joyful spirit crushed by the harshness of the world…  
And a power, free and alive, flowing just beneath the surface…  
In an instant, the pain was gone. However, the memories still lingered. She recognized what and who Grainne really was. Shaking her head to clear it of Grainne's memories, she reached out and held Grainne's hand. "Grainne, not everyone in this world will like you. You have to move on. You can't let stupid nicknames or close-minded people hurt you like this."  
Grainne nodded. "I know…" she sniffed. "Um…I'm kinda hungry. Do you want to order or something?"  
Athena grinned. "Sure. I could eat a buffalo!"  
Grainne smiled back through her tears, her grin reaching from ear to ear. "Thankfully, you don't have to do that. They serve hamburgers and sandwiches and things like that."  
  
As soon as Athena got home, she pulled Celi from her backpack. The poor cat was starving. "Boy, we sure do go through tuna fast," Athena quipped as she watched Celi devour the fish.  
Celi grunted in reply.  
"Celi, I felt another senshi today."  
The cat looked up, astonished. "What? Who? Where?"  
"Grainne. She's a senshi. I could sense it."  
"Are you sure?"  
Athena shrugged. "Yes, I'm sure. It's unmistakable."  
"But how, Athena? How did you know?"  
"I…I don't know," Athena sighed, suddenly very tired. "It's like my heartbeat…I can't control it, but it happens, regardless."  
Celi nodded, then looked Athena over. "It looks like you need to take a nap."  
"Not a bad idea, kitty cat. We'll talk about Grainne later."  
  
Athena was awakened by her telephone ringing. She sat up and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she answered, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.  
"Hey, Athena! It's me, Grainne! What are you doing this weekend?"  
"I don't know…I usually don't plan that far ahead."  
Grainne chuckled. "Well, if you're not busy Friday, why don't you spend the night over my house? I haven't had a sleepover in…forever!"  
"I haven't been to a sleepover in forever. It sounds great!"  
Athena could imagine Grainne's grin through the telephone. "Cool! Well, I gotta go. The biology teacher finally gave us some homework…" Grainne paused for a second. "…Thanks, Athena, for lunch."  
"Don't mention it. I'll see you tomorrow."  
As Athena hung up the phone, Celi bounced into the room. "You're going over Grainne's house?"  
"Wow, you are nosy. Yes, I am, you little snoop…well, if Mom and Dad say I can."  
"Then you can take me, and we'll figure out a way to reveal her past!"  
"Awww, do we have to rush this?" Athena groaned.   
"Remember the wild thing from last night?" Celi sighed. "I think we do have to hurry. No offense, but this enemy or whatever is bigger than you and I can handle."  
  
Friday, after school, Athena sat on the bus next to Grainne as it rumbled along the streets of Chicago. She held a bag filled with clothes, toiletries, and a certain golden winged cat.  
"This one teacher I have, he's really mean," Grainne snarled. "Who would give a test during the first week of school?"  
"What class is it in?"  
"Gym, of all things! I've never seen anyone so gung-ho about physical education!"  
Athena laughed out loud, causing Grainne to stare at her in mock anger. "If you had Mr. James, you wouldn't be laughing, young lady!" She looked fleetingly out the window, then stood up carefully so her head wouldn't hit anything. "Come on, Athena, this is our stop."  
They sauntered off the bus while Grainne regaled Athena with more tales of the teachers at their school. After walking for about ten minutes, they stopped in front of a medium sized white house with a bright blue door. Grainne fumbled for her keys as Athena looked around. This was the Hyde Park neighborhood, about half an hour away from where Athena lived. It was a beautiful day, and Athena watched a young mother push a baby carriage down the street, whistling loudly.  
"Aha! Thought you could get away, eh, keys? Well, look who won this time!" Grainne swiftly unlocked the door and opened it for Athena.   
The house seemed old and used, as if people had been living there since the beginning of time. A smell of wood polish and books washed over Athena like a wave. It was cozy and warm inside, a sharp contrast to the chill of an autumn Chicago day.  
"Certes? Where are you, boy? Certes, I've got someone for you to meet!"  
On cue, an Irish setter skidded across the wood floors and tackled Athena. Frantically, it licked her face in a friendly gesture of welcome.  
"Oh, Certes," Grainne sighed, "you're too big for that now! Look, you almost killed her!"  
Apologetically, Certes backed off of Athena and laid his head on the floor between his paws. "Certes is an unusual name for a dog. What does it mean?" Athena asked as she scratched Certes behind the ears.  
"I found it in a play by Shakespeare. It's an archaic word, meaning certain or truthfully. I just thought it suited him."  
Athena looked up at her friend. "Grainne, you never cease to amaze me."  
The taller girl winked as she walked up the stairs. "Well, I do my best, after all…  
Grainne opened the door to her room with another flourish. "What do you think?"  
The room was huge, with a large bed pushed into the far right corner. Sports equipment was strewn all over the place.   
"It's a lot different than mine," Athena said finally. "I'm not so athletic."  
"A girl needs hobbies, right?" Grainne asked, kicking a soccer ball out of the way. "This is my sleeping and work out room, all rolled into one! Saves space!"  
Athena dropped her bag, ignoring the yelp that came from Celi. "What are we going to do first?"  
Before Grainne could answer, Certes came dashing in. He began to nose Athena's bag, sniffing at the zipper.  
The corners of Grainne's mouth twitched upward in a smile. "Did you bring dirty clothes or something?"  
Athena gulped, making a hollow noise with her throat. "He's, um, probably smelling my stuffed animal." She shoved Certes away and pulled out Celi. The tiny golden kitten tried desperately not to move.  
"I can't bear to wash it," Athena stuttered. "It's my favorite stuffed animal…I've had it forever!"  
"Wow, can I touch it?" Grainne reached her hand toward Celi. "It looks so real!"  
"Yeah, that's why I like it so much. Go ahead!"  
Athena held her breath as Grainne stroked Celi gently. Celi was enjoying the treatment and suppressed a loud purr of contentment.  
"You can leave it on my bed. Let's go downstairs and watch some movies or something."  
Carefully, Athena placed Celi on the bed. Certes started to walk toward the cat, but Grainne quickly grabbed his collar. "Certes, don't be naughty. Come downstairs with us and leave the kitty alone."   
The girls stayed up till midnight, talking about everything imaginable. Grainne explained that her parents were on business trips for the weekend, but that they had approved the sleepover before they left. Athena told about her experiences in France, but carefully omitted any mention of the other senshi. Finally, they fell asleep, exhausted.  
  
Certes' sharp barks woke Athena up. She listened cautiously, then stood up. The dog was standing in front of the front door, barking like the gates of Hell were opening before his very eyes. Athena quickly glanced at Grainne. She was still asleep, her snores cutting through the air. Athena projected a thought to Celi, telling the cat to come and bring the henshin stick.  
Celi was by her side in five seconds flat. As Athena raised her wand, all hell broke loose.  
The door burst open, and four of the huge wolves rushed through.  
Grainne bolted upright, staring at the wolves.  
And Athena transformed.  
In an instant, Sailor Astraea was standing in her place.  
She planted herself in front of Grainne, protecting her. "Celi, you must tell Grainne her past!" Astraea shouted, as the wolves circled her, howling for her blood.  
Celi jumped into Grainne's lap and looked up at her. "Grainne, listen. You are not an ordinary girl. You have powers, deep within you, from a time long ago. Try to remember!"  
Grainne could not concentrate. The sight of the wolves, the fact that the cat was talking, and the warrior protecting her merged into one, and she could not process anything. She closed her eyes in order to block everything out.  
"Astraea! Please, help!" Celi yowled frantically.  
The wolves came closer, nipping at Astraea. It was a game to them. Quickly, she reached out with her mind and touched Grainne. She felt around carefully, until she reached a barrier. Behind the barrier was the secret.  
Astraea pushed violently, and the barrier burst. Grainne's eyes opened, and she gasped loudly. This seemed to incite the wolves into attacking. Their claws tore into Astraea, but she quickly put up a shield using her mental powers. One of the wolves jumped against the shield, knocking Astraea to the ground.  
As Grainne watched, her wand appeared from thin air. She reached out and grabbed it knowingly. Then she raised it high above her head.  
"Thalia Goddess Power, Makeup!"  
An indescribable sound, so beautiful that it caused the wolves to stop their incessant howling, exploded into the night, along with a blast of light that turned the darkness into day. Grainne held her hands in front of her, and a large double bladed battle-axe appeared. She swung it around, slicing through the air so fast that the blades began to whistle. Then she stopped, standing in a stance for battle, her long red hair flowing wild and free, and her green eyes flashing with the joy of life and battle. Grainne had transformed into Sailor Thalia.  
"Invited by a new age, I am the Guardian of joy and love, Sailor Thalia! I will destroy all those who oppose the light of the world!"  
Swift as a bird, Thalia pointed her axe at the nearest wolf. It shrank away, frightened of the powerful new intruder. "Joyful Light!" she thundered. Beams of light in every color of the rainbow gathered into an energy ball at the point of her axe, and she shot it out in a concentrated beam of light that cut though the wolf like a chainsaw. It dissipated, leaving no trace.  
The three other wolves backed away as Thalia raced to Astraea. Thalia helped her friend to her feet. "Can you stand?" she asked.  
Astraea nodded. "I'm alright. Come on, let's finish these…things."  
Another wolf jumped at Astraea, its powerful body flying through the air. It could sense that Astraea was weak. "Sword Slash!" she shouted, and whipped her rapier through the air. The wolf disappeared while it was still in the air.  
Thalia, brave and strong, rushed at one of the two remaining wolves. It grabbed the handle of her axe its teeth and pulled. Setting her feet, Thalia pulled against the wolf. While Astraea struggled with the last wolf, Thalia desperately tried to win her game of tug-of-war.  
The wolf had surprised Astraea, jumping while she was distracted. It pinned her face down on the ground. It was about to bite into her jugular vein when she shouted, "Mind Shock!" The wolf fell off in a daze, unable to tell which way was up. Astraea stabbed her sword through the prone animal, but she could not find a heart, or any other type of vital organ. A final "Sword Slash!" finished the wolf off for good.  



	4. Default Chapter Title

"Come on, Athena! Can't you punch any harder than that?"  
Last night, after their fight against the dark wolves, Athena had sat down with Grainne and explained everything-the senshi in France, the history of the Senshi of Virtue, even about her mental abilities. In her usual gung-ho fashion, Grainne had suddenly decided to help train Athena to become a better senshi. So, at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning, Athena was fighting against a punching bag-and losing.  
"Grainne, I'm so tired! In case you forgot, we fought a hard battle last night! I can hardly keep my eyelids open."  
"Oh, no pain, no gain!" Grainne grinned, showing all of her teeth. "One more round!"  
Celi looked between the two friends worriedly. "Grainne, I think she might pass out. You're going to kill her."  
"Yes," Athena nodded, "listen to the talking kitty and let me sleep!"  
Grainne sighed loudly and let go of the punching bag. "Alright, alright, you can stop. I was just trying to help," she pouted, as Athena slid onto the floor.  
"We understand," Celi said, "but Athena's not ready for such an intense workout."  
"You're right, of course," Grainne said, shouting over Athena's loud snores. "What do you say we grab something to eat?"  
"Do you have any tuna?"  
  
Athena got home around eleven o'clock. Her mother was in the kitchen making a light brunch for herself and Athena's father, Dr. Charles Evans. Saturday was their day off, and they usually spent it at home resting.  
"Will there be any left for me?" Athena asked, watching her mother make a few strips of bacon.  
"Hopefully, if you get here in time. I'm starving!" her mother replied. "By the way, Leo called."  
"Thanks, Mom," Athena shouted as she hobbled up the stairs, sore and stiff as a board.  
She picked up her phone and pressed the first preset button. As the phone began to ring, she idly thought about putting Grainne's number on the second preset.  
"Hello?" Leonard's voice spoke.  
"It's me, Athena. What's up? How do you like our new school?"  
"I like it. It's so much bigger, and most of the kids there are nice. And the teachers are helpful, too."  
"Have you made any friends?" Athena asked, laying down on her bed and kicking her shoes off.  
"Yeah. There are a couple of guys in my homeroom that are cool...we went bowling yesterday."  
Athena grinned happily. She knew that Leonard loved to bowl, and she was glad that he had made some friends with the same interest. They chatted for a little while longer until Leonard had to go. "I'll see you on Monday," he said as he hung up.  
Athena lay back on her bed, totally content with herself. This is what life should be like, she thought happily. No Sailor anything. Just plain old Athena.  
  
Across time and space, things were not so restful.  
A stream of curses rent the air as a tall woman stalked around the foyer of a dark castle. Every so often, the woman would glance in a mirror, then go back to cursing.  
The woman's skin was black, but her face was a pale and unearthly white. Her features were beautiful, in a cold, cruel sort of way, and her body was hideously thin. She had long wings, like a bat, that trailed behind her as she paced the room.  
The woman was so busy pacing around that she didn't see another person enter the room. This man, if he could be called that, was even more unsettling. He was slouched over with a large hump on his back. His skin was a mottled green and yellow, and his greasy black hair trailed down the back of his neck like tentacles.  
"Well, Kakia," he smirked, revealing rotten and broken teeth, "looks like you failed again."  
Kakia spun to face him, a dangerous look in her red eyes. "Listen, Grendel, I was told that these sen-sashimi or whatever were going to be easy to defeat. How was I to know that they would gang up on my little pretties?"  
"Our little prince isn't going to like this," Grendel sighed in an expression of mock pity. On cue, a loud shout sounded through the empty corridors of the palace.  
"Kakia! Get in here, now!"  
Kakia cursed again, then opened up her wings and glided down the hallway. She tried to ignore Grendel's grunting laughter behind her.  
She flew up staircases and into a long hall with a tall ceiling. There was a huge chair positioned at the back of the hall. A little boy who looked no more than ten sat there, a frown on his cherubic face.   
The boy had tousled black hair that tumbled over his face. His cheeks were rosy and his skin was bright and perfect.  
The only strange thing about him were his eyes.  
They were a dark blue, deep as the sea and much too old for such a young looking child. Instead of the sparkle of youth, they were filled with a glimmer of wickedness-a twisted hatred for anything good or happy.  
"My dear demon," he sighed, shaking his head, "they are only teenagers. They can't be that hard to kill, can they?"   
"My lord Cathal," Kakia stammered, kneeling down before the boy, "I tried all of my usual tricks, but these girls are strong...much stronger than you said. I was not prepared for..."  
"Oh, shut up, Kakia," he sniffed in a mock display of sadness. "All these excuses hurt me. They make me think that you do not want to please me. You do want to please me, don't you?"  
Kakia looked up into the eyes of the young boy, and for a second, became lost in their depths.  
"My lord, give me more time! I promise you..."  
"Ah, what's the use?" the boy sighed. "I'm such a soft-hearted tyrant, I'll give you another chance. But if you fail..."  
"I know, my lord. Thank you for your grace."  
Kakia flew as quickly as her wings would carry her down to the catacombs of the dark castle. She pushed the great door to the dungeon open a crack and squeezed through.  
Inside were hundreds of prisoners, all convicted of committing the smallest offense against the lord. Kakia avoided their grabbing hands as she floated down to the last cell on the floor.  
A little girl sat on the floor, crying softly to herself. Unlike the other creatures of the dungeon, she had been left untouched by the darkness. In fact, light shone from her beautiful features. A small golden dragon, curled around her shoulder, whispered some words of comfort into her ear.  
"Telphassa!" Kakia shouted cruelly, ignoring the pain in the little girl's eyes.   
Telphassa slowly raised her head, tearstains covering her cheeks. She was the complete opposite of Cathal, with long shimmering golden-brown hair that curled down her back and bright shining eyes, full of hope and youthful wishes. They were red from the poor girl's continuous weeping.  
Kakia stepped back, her eyes narrowing to block out some of the light that Telphassa created. "I need more creatures...but I've got a new idea. Instead of the giant wolves, I want to make birds...no, wait...bats! Giant flying creatures! I know you can do it."  
A deep sob escaped from Telphassa's throat as she peered through the bars of her cell. "I can. But not here. I need room to work. Outside, perhaps."  
"Fine, whatever." With a careless wave of her hand, Kakia opened the door to Telphassa's chamber. "But be quick."  
"Can I bring..." Telphassa began, pointing to the tiny dragon.  
"No. The sooner you're done the better. Let's go!" Kakia reached out and grabbed the little girl's frail arm, then dragged her past the row of cells violently. Telphassa's cries drowned out the moans of the other prisoners.  
Inside the cell, the little dragon shook his head mournfully. "When will this end?" he muttered, blasting a jet of hot steam through his nostrils.  
  
Athena was sitting in the courtyard in the center of the school after her final class got out, watching the sun go down. Since winter was fast coming on, nighttime came much earlier. She drummed her fingers against her leg and tried to remember a song she had heard once. Something about who let the dogs out...  
Finally, Grainne breezed through the courtyard, right past Athena. With an exasperated sigh, Athena put her hand in the air and waved. "Grainne, you ditz, why were you so late?"  
Startled, Grainne whirled around. "Whoops! Sorry about that, Athena. I just forgot...I had to go to a basketball meeting. We're starting next week!"  
"Could you inform the rest of the world next time? I've been waiting here forever!"  
Grainne patted Athena on her head. "Hey, calm down. You probably finished all your homework already. Let's go!"  
As they walked to the bus stop, Grainne proudly explained the history of the basketball team. "Well, I don't mean to brag or anything, but we win all the time. Our record is the best in Chicago!"  
"And how much playing time do you get?" Athena asked.  
Grainne suddenly looked a bit chagrined. "Well, not much in the past couple of years. But I hope that's going to change. I mean, I am a junior now! The varsity team has a lack of tall chicks, and I'm just the one to fill in those spots."  
A high-pitched scream cut Grainne off before she could begin speaking again. At the same time, Athena's head began to throb painfully. She squeezed her eyes shut to try to erase some of the pain.  
"Athena? What is it?" Grainne looked around, trying to find the source of the scream.  
"I don't know, but it's coming from the park. I think we'd better check it out-it feels a lot worse than the usual mugging."  
Athena and Grainne grabbed their henshin sticks and shouted their transformation phrases. In a flash of bright light, they changed into their senshi forms and ran toward the park.  
Sailor Thalia cursed virulently under her breath. "It's another one of those wolves," she growled as they arrived in the park. The wolf had cornered a woman and her child, and the poor little boy kept screeching loudly. The woman just stood there, unable to function.   
Axe swinging, Thalia rushed toward the wolf. Astraea leaped forward too, but before she could reach the two people, another sharp pain struck her. "Wait, Thalia! Stop!"  
Thalia was too far-gone in the joy of battle to hear.  
Suddenly, a dark shape swooped down and picked Thalia by her shoulders. She cursed again in anger as she was lifted far into the air.  
Thalia swung at the legs of the creature, but it just kept flying higher. For once, Thalia was at a loss.  
Astraea looked upward and gulped audibly. This just kept getting worse! All of a sudden, she got an idea.   
"Thalia! Blast that thing! I'll catch you!"  
"What?" Thalia screamed downward. "I'm twice your size!"  
"Just kill it and don't worry!"  
"Please don't kill me, Astraea," Thalia sighed. Then she pointed her axe and roared "Illuminata!" The creature howled as it dissipated into the night.  
For a few seconds, Thalia felt as if she was being suspended in midair. Then she began to tumble through the cold night sky.  
Astraea closed her eyes and concentrated on her falling friend. Even though she was not totally proficient at controlling her mental powers, she had lifted up small things with telekinesis. Thalia gasped as the ground came closer and closer, then shut her eyes to block out the pain of hitting dirt...  
She fell with a solid thud that knocked the wind out of her. Although Astraea had slowed Thalia down, she had not been able to totally stop her fall.   
Thalia lay in the dust for a few seconds, wheezing heavily. Astraea checked her over quickly, then ran off to confront the wolf.  
The woman had fainted from fear, and the little boy pulled at her arm, wailing like a wounded animal. The wolf's jaws snapped hungrily, and he flicked out his tongue at the boy's cheek.  
"Invited by a new age, I am the Guardian of Justice and Wisdom, Sailor Astraea! Prepare to be judged!"  
The animal's ears flicked backwards, and it threw back its head and called mournfully. Suddenly, other wolves appeared, howling for blood and flesh. Astraea's eyes widened in shock and surprise. She could not fight all these wolves alone.  
Like a beautiful bolt of lightening, Sailor Thalia cut through the two wolves closest to her with a swing of her axe. She grinned broadly at Astraea. "Come on, let's finish these things. I've got homework!"  
"Not again!"  
The two senshi spun around to see Kakia standing there, a look of total rage upon her face.  
"In the name of Hades, I have never met two more difficult little twits. Can't you just die?"  
Sailor Thalia burst out laughing. Sailor Astraea just raised her eyebrow.  
Kakia sniffed, ignoring Thalia's loud laughs. "It would be so much easier to capture the light of this world if you weren't here..."  
"What? Light of this world?" Astraea asked. "What is that?"  
"Never you mind," Kakia snickered. Then she placed her hands in front of her and shouted, "Death to you all!"  
A beam of pure darkness shot out, crackling through the air. Reflexively, Astraea put up her mental shield, but she felt a strain instantly. "Thalia," she struggled to croak, "I can't hold this..."  
The tall girl nodded, then pointed her axe toward the woman. "Illuminata!"  
The light energy crashed against the dark energy, and a sound like a clap of thunder exploded into the night. Thalia held her ground bravely, but she could feel herself beginning to slip as well.   
With a sudden decision, Sailor Astraea leapt forward and dashed at Kakia, sword alight with a powerful glow. She tackled Kakia, knocking her to the ground, and the beam of dark energy stopped.  
Outraged, Kakia flew into the air. "You...you sashimi!"  
"That's senshi, batbrain!" Thalia shouted, and fired off a weak blast. It hit Kakia in the foot, and she faltered for a few seconds. "I tire of this foolishness. Attack, my pretties!" And with that, Kakia dissolved into a dark mist.  
The four wolves surrounded the two senshi with the speed of demons, but they were not fast enough to escape the powers of light. Astraea and Thalia hacked and slashed the wolves until there was nothing left but the woman and the little boy. By this time, the woman had woken up. Seeing that there was no more danger, she ran up to Astraea with her child.  
"I can't thank you enough...you two saved us!" she shouted breathlessly.   
"Lucky for you, you won't remember a thing." Sailor Astraea placed one hand on the woman's forehead, and another hand on the little boy's head. She then closed her eyes.   
In an instant, she had erased the frightening memory from their minds.   
"Come on, Thalia, let's go before they see us again," Astraea said, walking away quickly. Thalia followed her into a thicket, where they changed back into their regular selves.  
They walked home in silence, drained from the long battle. Finally, Athena spoke.  
"What is the light of this world?" she asked, shifting her backpack.  
"You know, when I first transformed, I said something like, 'I will destroy those who oppose the light of the world'." Grainne twirled a lock of her hair as she tried to remember. "I never really thought about it before, because it just kinda came out. Do you know what I mean?"  
"That's from before, I guess. A bit of an old memory from when we were princesses. But that still doesn't explain it."  
"Why are we fighting, Athena? Does Celi know?"  
Athena shrugged. "She never quite finished her training, so she's not sure. There are other senshi out there, Grainne, and while we all fight for good, the enemies that we face and the ways we go about defeating them are always different. Celi just got the general training. She was never assigned to a group of senshi."  
"Great. So we're flying blind?"  
"Not totally," Athena grinned, tapping her forehead. "I figured out that you were a senshi, after all. It's amazing that I could get through that thick skull of yours!"  
  
"It doesn't look good for the home team, Kakia," Grendel sighed, shaking his head.   
"Will you shut up?" the bat woman screeched. "I can't think when you mutter to yourself like that!"  
Grendel chuckled, savoring her anger like a juicy steak.  
"Well, I think you should try a different approach."  
Kakia's eyes narrowed into dangerous little slits. "Please, Peitho, not you too."  
In contrast to Grendel, Peitho was extremely handsome. His face was warm and inviting, his body strong and muscular, his voice silky and deep. Plus, Peitho was a shape shifter-he could change into any man he had ever seen. He was perfect in every way...except for the fact that he was absolutely evil.  
"Kakia, my dear, you are going about this all wrong," he oozed, stroking her cold cheek with his hand. "Please, let me try the next time. I guarantee better results."  
Kakia could only nod, her mouth hanging open like an oven door. Peitho smiled his beautiful smile, then strolled over to the mirror. He admired himself as he changed his face over and over again.  
Grendel scowled at the handsome demon. He was filled with jealousy-why did this dolt get such good looks, while he looked like a freak? Quickly, Grendel swallowed his growing rage. He would get his turn soon enough.  
  



	5. Default Chapter Title

Peitho growled under his breath, his attractive face twisting into a mask of pure animosity. He hated being around humans. The only reason that he had taken Kakia's job was that he wanted more power. Cathal was willing to give it to him, if only he could destroy the senshi. So, he had changed his appearance to look more human, but still very attractive. He had found a suit and dusted it off, making it as good as new. And then he walked into the biggest high school in the city that the humans called Chicago, stolen a male teacher, and then, when the school needed an alternate teacher, stepped into his place.   
Peitho knew he should have killed the man, but he did not want to risk getting blood all over the place. The teacher was out cold in a broom closet, locked by Peitho's magic.  
As he strolled down the halls, he watched the children, looking for...something. A spark of life that made the senshi different from other high school girls. He could find nothing in this group of students. With a deep sigh, he fought down his rising anger and opened the door to his classroom.  
Grainne nudged Athena as the teacher walked into the class. "Look! Mr. Greaves isn't here! We have a sub!"  
"Good thing, too. I forgot to do my English homework," Athena sighed, flipping through her notebook.   
"Good morning, class. Mr. Greaves will not be in today. He is...a bit under the weather. I am your substitute, Mr. Booker."  
"He's kinda hot, Grainne," Athena whispered.  
"I know! Much better view in here today."  
Mr. Booker was a tall man with lightly tanned skin. He had soft brown eyes, full lips, and a strong nose. His black hair was a bit long, and he ran his hand through it as he looked over the attendance sheet. Athena could hear some of the less mature girls in the class giggling behind their hands. "Alright," he finally said, "is everyone here?"  
"Everyone except Philip and Jackie!" Grainne piped up.  
Mr. Booker looked at her, and she blushed, causing her freckles to turn darker. "Thank you, Miss..."  
"I'm Grainne McBride. You want me to take attendance for you?"  
He smiled gratefully and handed her the sheet. "Thank you, Grainne."  
"What are you doing, Grainne? Flirting?" Athena asked, incredulous. "He's way too old!"  
"I'm not flirting." Grainne blinked in an insulted sort of way as she scanned the list. "I'm just trying to help the poor guy out."  
Athena rolled her eyes and put her head down on her desk.   
"Your teacher left some work for you," Mr. Booker sighed, leafing through a thick stack of paper, "but since I'm in such a good mood, I'll give it to you for homework. You can use this time as a study period."  
A collective cheer went up from the students. Mr. Booker just grinned.   
"He's much better than the slave driver," Grainne sighed, "and so handsome too."  
"I don't know, Grainne," Athena scratched her head. "I can't put my finger on it, but..."  
"Hey, don't think too much, Athena." Grainne put her feet up on her desk and closed her eyes. "Just enjoy it while it lasts."  
  
As Athena and Grainne entered the lunchroom, they heard the unmistakable sounds of a catfight.  
"We were here first, punta! Don't pretend like you didn't see us!"  
"This is our table. We always sit here!"  
Grainne groaned. "Oh, man, I thought this mess was over!"  
Charissa Stevenson, the girl who had insulted Grainne at the diner a few weeks before, was facing a shorter Hispanic girl. The Hispanic girl had long dark brown hair in a braid that reached past her knee. Her black eyes flashed dangerously, and she looked ready to spit fire.  
"Charissa and her little crew sit at the same table every day. They seem to think that it's their table or something. So every year, a few people try to challenge Charissa. Usually one of them is Esperanza Cardenas. That's the Hispanic chick with the long hair."  
Suddenly, they heard a loud smack. They looked up to see Esperanza clutching her cheek. Charissa stood with her hands on her hips, smiling smugly. Esperanza's eyes narrowed, and then she leapt like a cat, taking Charissa off guard. The other students formed a circle around the fighting girls, cheering and goading them on.  
The principal of the school, Mrs. Coleman, pushed her way through the crowd and used her strong arms to pry Charissa and Esperanza apart. "Esperanza!" the older woman shouted, shaking with anger, "Why are you always in trouble? Come with me right now!"  
"But, Mrs. Coleman, she hit me first!" Esperanza protested.  
"I don't care. Charissa, come with me as well. We'll get to the bottom of this."  
As Mrs. Coleman dragged Charissa and Esperanza out of the cafeteria, Esperanza looked about, exasperated. Her eyes met Athena's, and suddenly Athena felt unimaginable pain...  
Taking care of four children when their parents were gone...  
Fighting for everything: food, money, respect...  
Wondering whether her father would be drunk when he came home...  
Hearing the rats scurrying through the walls at night...  
Trying to make a better future for herself and her family...  
A passion for greater things, so strong that it threatened to burst...  
An instant or an eternity passed, and then Esperanza looked away. The pain slowly began to dissipate.   
Athena gasped loudly and started to fall, but Grainne caught her. "Athena!" she shouted, forehead creased with worry, "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing, I...I have to talk to you." There's another senshi, she projected, using her telepathy carefully. It's Esperanza.  
"What?" Grainne cried, her mouth open with shock. "Really? But how can we...?"  
"Don't worry. We'll find a way to get to her," Athena said, slowly trying to get up. She steadied herself against a table. "But you have to tell me everything you know about her."  
"That won't take long," Grainne shrugged. She put out her arm and Athena grabbed it as if it were a life preserver. Slowly, Grainne guided Athena toward the lunch line. "She mostly hangs around people from her neighborhood. Esperanza's got a huge temper, and she gets into fights about little things. One thing that stands out-she absolutely can not stand Charissa, or anyone stuck up, for that matter."  
"Where does she live?" Athena asked, picking up a sandwich from the pile in front of her.  
"I don't know. Like I said, she doesn't really reach out and touch many of her fellow classmates."  
"That's okay. Celi can figure something out." Athena let go of Grainne's arm and tried to walk on her own. After a few wobbly steps, she was fine. "I'll tell her when I get home."  
  
Athena was sitting at her desk in her room, puzzling through some math homework, when Celi flew lazily through the window. She watched the cat, one eyebrow raised. "Look who finally decided to come home."  
"I was exploring!" Celi sighed. "I've never been anywhere else but France! Plus, it's boring sitting here pretending to be a stuffed animal."  
"Well, I've got some news," Athena smiled.   
"Did you find another senshi?"   
"Yes. But she's a harder nut to crack than Grainne was. She's temperamental and not too friendly."  
Celi shrugged her small shoulders. "Sounds like a normal teenage human to me."  
Athena promptly hit her with a pillow. "Anyway, come to school with me tomorrow. We all have to think up some plan." Suddenly, she looked up. "Celi, have your wings gotten stronger?"  
The kitten blushed proudly, stretching her small wings to their fullest. "Well, I have been flying more..."  
Athena rolled her eyes and turned back to her math problems.  
  
Peitho was getting impatient. After a few days of searching, he had nothing. Peitho could almost sense the young leader's displeasure. He sat gazing into a mirror in Cathal's castle, trying to think up a better plan.   
"Maybe you should be less subtle."  
Without looking up, Peitho knew that the hissing voice belonged to Grendel. He sighed deeply. "What does that mean, my ugly friend?"  
Again Grendel fought down the urge to snap the pretty boy's neck. He smiled his broken-tooth smile and started again.  
"Attack in a place where young humans gather. It's sure to attract attention. If the senshi are there, no doubt you'll see them transform. It's a win-win situation."  
Peitho snorted derisively. "That's stupid. I'm going somewhere else to think up a better plan." And with that he shimmered into nothingness.  
Grendel chuckled, a thick choking sound from deep in his throat. Peitho was desperate for a plan. Grendel was sure that he would bite. Of course, Grendel was also sure that the plan would fail. Then, finally, he would get his chance to work.  
  
Grainne twirled her pasta around her fork. With a slow deliberate movement she stuck it in her mouth, sucking up an errant strand with a satisfied slurp.  
"How about we invite her over Grainne's house and tell her there?"  
Athena shook her head. "Remember, Celi, Esperanza's really antisocial. She wouldn't come over our houses."   
They were sitting at a table in the diner, making furtive glances toward the table where Esperanza was sitting with her friends. Athena, Grainne and Celi had followed Esperanza there after school. The place was packed full of other high schoolers, all laughing and talking loudly. Celi was pretending to be a statue or something of that sort, but she wasn't doing too well.  
The kitten pawed at the tuna sandwich Grainne had bought for her, suspicion in her shiny eyes. "Is this really good?"  
"I don't know," Grainne shrugged. "I don't like tuna myself. It's kinda gross."  
"It tastes good to me!" Celi shouted with a mouthful of tuna, and was promptly shushed by Athena.  
"Remember, kitty, you're not supposed to talk. Keep it down to a dull roar."  
Suddenly, they heard a strange crackle. Athena felt a sharp pain, and she closed her eyes tight to concentrate on not blacking out. Celi and Grainne turned to see a dark rip in the air. Out stepped Peitho in his demon glory.  
Dark feathered wings jutted out at his shoulder blades. He was still handsome, but his face now carried an otherworldly air. He wore a black body suit, his clawed hands and feet free. Black energy flickered around him, and his eyes glowed with malice. As they watched, he gathered some of the energy into his right hand. Peitho smiled, causing most of the students to shiver. Then he threw the energy like a baseball right into the table where Esperanza and her friends were sitting.   
It exploded instantly, throwing the group in different directions. In a great mass, the other students started to push through the doors. Some even grabbed the chairs and smashed windows, allowing them to get out more quickly.  
Grainne ran over to Esperanza, who lay unconscious on the floor. Her other friends had run away in fear. Peitho narrowed his eyes and fired another blast, but Grainne leapt out of the way. She kept the demon busy while Athena slid into the bathroom to change. They couldn't afford to give away their identity to their enemy.  
A few seconds later, Sailor Astraea emerged, sword ready for battle. "Hey, demonspawn, why don't you fight someone who can defend themselves?"  
Peitho grinned again, his handsome features twisted evilly. "Just the girl I wanted to see." He flew into Astraea, knocking her against the wall. She struggled to breathe as he pressed her into the hard surface.   
"Grainne, you've got to transform!" Celi whispered. "I'll protect Esperanza as best I can!" Grainne nodded and dashed away. Celi began to lick the girl's face until she awoke. Esperanza looked at Celi with confusion in her eyes.  
"Listen, Esperanza..."  
The girl's eyes widened, mouth open in shock. "Wait a minute. Cats don't talk."  
"I'm not a normal cat."  
Sailor Thalia burst out of the bathroom and slammed into Peitho from behind. His wings crumpled, and he fell to the floor. But he soon recovered and flew up into the air. "Do you annoying girls always come in pairs?" Peitho asked, before firing a volley of dark energy. Astraea and Thalia rolled out of the way, but before they could fully recover, the demon bombarded them again.  
"There's no time to explain, Esperanza. Think as far back as you can...Do you remember your home planet? Do you remember the Silver Millenium? Do you remember the great destruction?"  
Astraea rolled over to where Esperanza was, feeling carefully around for the barrier that she had felt with Sailor Thalia. Esperanza's barrier was much thinner-she was beginning to remember her past...  
Astraea shattered the barrier in Esperanza's mind. Then she quickly leapt out of the way.  
The breaking of the barrier, along with the loud explosions, helped to clear Esperanza's thoughts. She willed her henshin stick to appear before her. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed it, then raised it to the sky, shouting out the phrase that she had somehow known all her life...  
"Ananke Goddess Power, Makeup!"  
Bright energy swirled around Esperanza in all the colors of the rainbow. It covered her like a warm blanket, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation. Then suddenly, there was a sound like an explosion, and all the energy flew away, leaving her standing in her fuku. It was all red, except for the bows, which were a light blue. A great lance appeared in her hand, as tall as she was, with a point as sharp as her piercing gaze was. She smiled, twitching the corners of her mouth upward in a dangerous curve.  
"Invited by a new age, I am Sailor Ananke, the Guardian of Hope and Destiny! Fate has decided your future, demon, and I will be the one to complete your destiny!"  
Peitho stared at the third girl, mouth agape. "I can't believe this. I try to destroy these chicks, and another one appears instead." He shrugged disdainfully. "Oh, well. I guess I'll have to destroy you all then."  
"Don't think so." Sailor Ananke began to run at Peitho, holding her spear high in her hands. Suddenly, she vaulted into the air, using the spear as a boost. When she was right above the demon, she pointed the spear straight down.  
The spear struck Peitho in the face, causing stars to swim around his head. A scar now ran down his handsome right cheek. He screamed in agony. Ignoring the dark blood running down his face, he raised his hands above his head to gather more energy.  
With an upward swing of her huge axe, Thalia sent a shock wave of light toward the demon. He fell, clutching his hands to his injured face. Sailor Astraea pointed her sword directly at his heart.  
"Who are you? What are you trying to do here? And what is the light of this world?"  
Peitho looked up, a strange light glimmering in his eyes. "I am Peitho, the most handsome being in all the universe!"  
Ananke snorted. "Not any more."  
He ignored her and went on. "As for the rest, I can't say. My master would be very displeased."  
Then he flew up into the air, his wings pumping furiously. "I'll be back, my little ones. Be ready for me!" And then he pointed at Sailor Ananke. "You...This is not over! I will have revenge!" He turned into a black cloud of mist, then dissipated into the air.   
The three girls watched the space for a few seconds. Then, without warning, Sailor Ananke collapsed to the floor. Her fuku disappeared, and she lay there in her normal clothes again.   
In an instant, the two other senshi de-transformed as well. They ran over to Esperanza. Athena checked her pulse.  
"She's still alive...just knocked out cold."  
Grainne picked her up. "No one will be at my house. We can take her there for a few hours." She stopped abruptly and listened. "Athena, it's the cops! We have to hurry!"  
They leapt through one of the broken windows, then began to run. Celi flapped behind.  
  
Grainne lay Esperanza down on her bed upstairs. Esperanza was still unconscious. Celi jumped nimbly on the bed and looked into her face.  
"I didn't know this sort of thing happened..." Celi sighed. "Oh, I wish I had finished my training. Luna would have known exactly what to do!"  
"Who's Luna?" Athena asked as she sat down on a chair next to the bed.  
"She was another Guardian. In fact, she was Princess Serenity's Guardian. She knew everything, but she was nice about it. Not a know-it-all."  
"Serenity is the leader of the Scouts, right?" Grainne questioned. Celi had given them a primer course on the other senshi, but it had been a few months ago.  
Celi nodded. "She's the most beautiful girl in the universe. I wish I knew where she was..."  
"Celi, I thought I was the most beautiful girl in the universe," Athena piped up, a wicked grin on her face.  
The kitten just rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, Athena."  
"Madre de Dios..."  
Esperanza was beginning to stir. Her dark eyes flashed open.  
"Where am I? And what just happened? One minute I was eating, and then..." She looked around weakly at Athena and Grainne. "And you! You fought with me! But who was that guy?"  
"Um, okay. You're in my house, we just fought a handsome but evil demon named Peitho, and you're a senshi with the name of Ananke. How about that?" Grainne grinned broadly.  
Athena elbowed her in the ribs. "Please, ignore her. I'm Athena Evans, and this is Grainne McBride. Do you remember your past? Fighting alongside us against the forces of darkness?"  
Esperanza put both hands to her head and closed her eyes. "I...remember a planet...beautiful...But then it was destroyed...And I tried to fight back...but when I fought with the rest of the senshi, it was too late..." A tear ran down her cheek unchecked. "And now...I..." She looked up again at the room and sighed, accepting what had been suddenly given to her. "'Invited by a new age, I am Sailor Ananke, the Guardian of Hope and Destiny! Fate has decided your future, and I will be the one to complete your destiny!' That sounds like some kind of superhero, huh?"  
"Wait until you hear mine," Grainne smiled. "It kinda just came to me, you know? But you get used to it after a while."  
"Will you fight with us?" Athena asked. "We don't know who or what we're dealing with, but we need all the help we can get."  
"Claro que si...it's my destiny, my fate. How can I deny that?" She smiled for the first time that day, a hopeful smile for the future.  
"You stupid lackeys! How could you let her escape?" Cathal screamed, veins popping out on his head.  
Kakia looked at him, her eyes like burning coals. "She chewed her way through the bars! How could we have stopped her?"  
As a response, Cathal raised his hand. Kakia was suddenly lifted into the air. Then Cathal snapped his fingers, and she fell with a dull thud to the ground. Ignoring her moans, Cathal turned to Grendel. "Can we find her?"  
"Of course, my lord. Lyssa will be found. In fact, I had hoped to use her after she was found. I think that she would be a fitting opponent for the senshi..."  
Cathal's eyes widened. "You are bold, Grendel. I hope that you will not pay for your ambition. Lyssa is...a bit of a handful."  
Grendel nodded, then clapped his hands together. He disappeared in a cloud of thick green smoke.   
  
  
  
  



End file.
